On-demand printing review

The so-called Print-on-Demand (or POD for short), if only literally understood, is nothing more than that all printing processing and technology development revolves around the needs of the market. Its highest goal is to satisfy people. Subjective requirements for print processing. If you look from this perspective alone, it seems that there is nothing special about “work on demand” because all the things that the printers do are meant to satisfy the user’s requirements. However, through the various discussions and recognition of “on-demand printing”, people have now given more profound meaning to the concept of “on-demand printing”. Because of this, on-demand printing has become More eye-catching.

First, on-demand printing concept

On-demand printing is a printing solution that can satisfy people's personalized printing requirements to the maximum extent possible. If traditional printing is compared to satisfying people's requirements for seeking common ground, printing on demand is a pursuit of satisfying people's differences. The concept of traditional printing is the consistency of long-lived print, large print and print. On-demand printing is entirely dependent on demand. Users may only need thousands, hundreds, or even just one, they need unique personalized print requests, and only the on-demand printing solution can solve this specificity.

On-demand printing should be an all-in-one approach that best satisfies people's immediacy requirements for prints. The traditional printing feature is to print a large print run for long prints, which cannot meet the fast printing requirements during the print cycle. The on-demand printing pursuit is that whether it is a printed sheet, a newspaper, or a book, instant printing can be achieved and "instant order."

On-demand printing should be an unobstructed printing method that can transcend geographical boundaries and cross borders. Compared with traditional printing, the digital background of on-demand printing and the close integration of the online world have enabled remote printing, borderless printing, and “post-release printing,” making it possible to achieve global barrier-free printing.

On-demand printing should be a printing method that people can accept in terms of printing costs. Traditional printing relies on the number of prints to balance printing costs, and the number of prints is the key to determining the cost of printing. On-demand printing, because there is no quantitative limit, the cost does not depend on the amount of print. But no matter how good the printing method, regardless of the cost of its printing, as long as the cost can not be accepted by the customer, then it will not be recognized by the market.

Printing on demand should be a printing method that satisfies the "requirements" requirement. Even though on-demand printing is currently mainly used in the short-run printing market, actually printing on demand is not short-run printing. The on-demand printing market is more likely to open up entirely new areas outside the traditional printing market. The printing needs that were previously considered to be impossible and difficult to achieve will be gradually solved by the on-demand printing market, thus creating a new world of printing.

From this we can see that on-demand printing not only has the characteristics of satisfying the requirements of personalization, immediacy, and variable quantity, but also a comprehensive concept of printing quantity, printing time, printing cost and application market reflected in the specific printed matter.

Second, on-demand printing development background

The idea of ​​on-demand printing has long existed, and the hope that one day will be able to achieve rapid, variable, and personalized printing will not be the invention of this era. However, the reason why on-demand printing has risen and developed in the new century has its own market and Technology development background.

First of all, the market has determined the transformation of printing methods. With the continuous development of economy, people have begun to put forward more and more urgent requirements for diversification, individuation, and short-term high-quality print and livelihood, such as star-rated restaurant menus, performance program lists, color samples, and personal albums. Print products have expanded the market's desire for on-demand printing, which has facilitated the development of on-demand printing from one aspect. In addition, with the arrival of the information age and the increase of international contacts, the rapid growth of off-site printing has also promoted the rapid growth of on-demand printing.

Another development basis for on-demand printing is the development of digital and networking technologies. The rapid development of optical, mechanical, electrical, communications, and networking technologies has laid the foundation for digital printing technology, and the combination of digital technology and modern printing equipment has provided strong technical support for on-demand printing and becomes on-demand. The basic conditions for printing are popular.

In addition to the market and technical background mentioned above, another factor that promotes the development of on-demand printing lies in people's change in the concept of printing. Since the traditional printing method has monopolized the printing market for several hundred years, the definition of printing and even the definition of printing come from the inherent mode and method of traditional printing. As a result, many new needs and ideas are constantly being annihilated in reality. With the market momentum brought about by social development and the initial maturity of the development of digital printing technology, new changes in people's printing concepts have been brought about, creating a new printing market on demand. Satisfy personalized printing, reduce waste, and realize the requirements of printing in one step, making the on-demand printing and on-demand printing processing market continue to expand, achieving “zero” inventory, instant book publishing and optional personalized printing requirements. Need to publish the market, the continuous expansion and maturity of the Internet, open up a broad market space for on-demand printing, remote on-demand printing.

Third, on-demand printing technology and equipment

The technology foundation for on-demand printing is the foundation for digital printing, which relies on digital technology, communications and networking technologies. With the continuous maturation of digital printing technology, on-demand printing can be realized.

Broadly speaking, on-demand printing equipment does not refer to a certain type of printing equipment but summarizes all printing systems that can meet the on-demand printing requirements. However, currently used on-demand printing equipment is mainly digital printing equipment. From the earliest developed DTP (Desk Top) to the following CTFilm (Computer-to-Film), CTProof (Computer-to-Proof) and today's CTPlate (Computer-to-Plate), CTPress (Computer-to-Press), CTPaper (Computer-to-Paper) also includes on-line equipment for digital finishing.

There are many digital printing devices currently on the market, their technical characteristics are different, and the manufacturers' models are also different, but they can basically be divided into two categories:

1. Digital Printing System (Direct Imaging Press, abbreviated as DI)

The digital printing system with digital printing mostly realizes direct digital plate-making on a mechanism plate or a transfer medium equivalent to a printing plate through a laser imaging device mounted on the printing machine, and completes the printing using an offset printing method. It was basically developed based on the principle of offset printing, and was divided into DI with water and DI without water according to the use of fountain solution (see Table 1). Such digital printing system plate materials mainly use silver salt, polyester or metal plates, and erasable plate media, mainly for the following sheet-fed printing materials, and some can be used for web printing. Both sides can be printed. Pressek and CreoScitex laser imaging technologies are commonly used, with high print resolution and a resolution of up to 3200 dpi.

Although the current DI printing system is developing very rapidly and has the characteristics of rapid printing (tens of thousands of sheets per hour) and high printing quality (high printing resolution), it is not essentially a print on demand. equipment. This is because the DI printing system is still the same as the traditional printing equipment, and it only needs a reasonable printing cost when the printing quantity reaches a certain scale, and it cannot satisfy the real variable data printing required by the on-demand printing.

2. Digital Variable Image System

The unprinted digital printing system is also called a variable data printing system. Only a non-printable variable data printing system is an all-digital printing system capable of different content from computer to paper, making it an ideal on-demand printing device.

The main technology of the variable data printing system is to use electrostatic printing or ink jet printing principle printing, its representative manufacturers have Xeikon, Indigo, Xerox, Nexpress and Aprion, Creo-Scitex, Barco and so on.

The digital printing system of electrostatic printing principle controls the distribution of the electrostatic charge on the surface of the photoconductor through the digital technology. It controls the distribution of the electrostatic charge on the surface of the photoconductor. The charged image then attracts the toner and transfers it to the substrate. After the toner has been shaped, it forms an image. . The color medium mainly uses toner and electronic ink.

The digital printing system of inkjet printing principle is to make the liquid ink pass under pressure through a row of small inkjet nozzles, use digital signals to control the dripping time (jet on inkjet printer) or use high-frequency action to cut the jet of jet ink (continuous inkjet) ) into a continuous ink droplets, using the same polarity charge deflector, guide the ink droplets to form images on the substrate. The color medium uses liquid ink.

These two different on-demand printing systems can be printed on a single sheet or web. The maximum sheet-fed print size is up to 1600×2600 mm with a resolution of up to 800 dpi, typically 300 to 600 dpi. The printing speed can reach up to 2200 pages/minute (A4 format), but the general monochrome printing is 600 to 800 pages/minute and the color printing is 60 to 200 pages/minute.

From this it can be seen that the digital printing system without a plate is, in principle, the digital printing device that best meets the on-demand printing requirements. However, as far as the current development status is concerned, the printing quality and printing speed cannot be compared with the traditional printing method or DI digital printing system. Counterbalance. Therefore, how to further improve its performance to meet customer requirements or find a suitable market position as soon as possible is a matter of common concern.

Fourth, on-demand printing market

Printing on demand is just one of the printing solutions. Broadly speaking, there is a market for printing demand, and printing on demand can survive, develop, and expand. In fact, from the perspective of the future development of the existing and forecasted on-demand printing market, the on-demand printing market can be positioned in the following areas:

1. Personalized printing market

Because on-demand printing can meet people's individual requirements, it can provide various choices such as printing materials, printing formats, and quantity of content. It can design and change printed content, printing layouts, and even open printing according to personal preferences and needs. Changes can also be made in the previous minute, so we can best meet customer needs.

At the same time, printing on demand can increase the added value of prints. Customers can print for their personalized work and will pay an additional fee. With personalized print, it will inevitably bring high added value. In addition, in the printing of commercial objects, invitation letters, greeting cards, mail order forms, bank credit cards, anti-counterfeit ID cards, personal albums, and other specific objects, personalized printing also has broad room for profit.

2. Print on demand market

On-demand printing is an expansion of the on-demand printing market. It caters to people's traditional reading habits and provides special services for tourists, merchants, public servants and athletes who are in a foreign land to provide familiarity with newspapers. With the increasing global economic integration and the increasing number of cross-border contacts, on-demand printing has become a market highlight.

On-demand printing is done through a newspaper reporting point similar to an automatic kiosk, where readers independently choose the language they are familiar with, the country they love, and newspapers that are interested in the content, and pay for themselves through simple operations. Finished print on demand.

The realization of on-demand printing must first be carried out by the service center to sort out and select the daily newspapers distributed around the world.